Looking a good Backup Plan - SQL Server 2005

  • Hello,

    I am currently creating FULL backups on my databases, so I am creating the BAK files.

    I am also backing up the Transacation Log File, so I am creating TRN files.

    One day I noticed that the LDF files for some databases were very large, one was 160 GB and growing out of control. So, I placed a file size restriction on all the LDFs. Had to use DBCC SHRINKFILE ('db_name', 1000) on the largest file to get this size down (I avoid this as it increases fragmentation).

    Question: If I have file size restrictions on the Transacation Log File (LDF), and I do a backup creating the TRN, do I get all of the transactions? I am thinking, if the LDF does not hold everything because of the size, do I get everything during the backup?

  • Yes, you get everything in the transaction log. If you reach the max size that you have set - then your system is going to stop until there is space in the transaction log.

    If you are performing regular transaction log backups then the size of the transaction log should not grow. If it does grow, then something has changed which is generating more transactions - or you have an index rebuild operation or large import that has occured.

    Review the article I link to in my signature to understand more about how to manage your transaction logs.

    Jeffrey Williams
    “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

    ― Charles R. Swindoll

    How to post questions to get better answers faster
    Managing Transaction Logs

  • Paul, you'll want to increase the frequency of your log backups if you see growth that is abnormally large. Depending upon how many inserts, updates, and deletes you perform your frequency of log backups needs to increase. Running a shrink against an LDF will not cause fragmentation, as data and indexes are not stored in the .ldfs.

    - Tim Ford, SQL Server MVPhttp://www.sqlcruise.comhttp://www.thesqlagentman.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyford

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